Improved apparatus for reefing fore-and-aft sails



raras FFICE.

ArnNr IIVIPROVED APPARATUSFOR REEFING FORE-fAND-AFT SAILS.

Speciiication forming part ofLettcrs Patent No. 52,5l7, dated February 13, 1866.

To alt whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. BIGELow, ot' New Braintree, in the county of Norfolk an( State of Massachusetts, have made a new and useful invention for lieeiing Fore-and- Aiv Sails; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following speciiication and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l is an elevation of a lnainsail as provided with my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the rolling boom and the ccntrivances for connectingit to the masts. Fig. 3 is a vertical section otl such boom and such contrivanees. Fig. 4 is a transverse section, taken through the worm-shaft, to be hereinafter described.

In the said drawings, A denotes the mast; B, the sail; C, the boom, and D the gait' ot' the sail. a is the topping-lift; b, the throathalyards; c, the peak halyards; l el, the sheets, and fthe cross-ties.

A series of mast-hoops, each being formed, as shown in Figz, with ahook,f, to enteran eye in the sail, is represented at e c e as applied to the mast.. The sail at its lower edge is connected to the boom, which at its outer end is supported by and so to be revolved within a ring, h, which has the sheets d l and the topping-lift connected to it.

The inner end of the boom is provided with ajournal, i, which is supported in a box or bearing, k, connected to the mast by a nniversal joint or gimbals, as shown at Z, the said gimbals being supported by two hoops, m m, encompassing and iixed to the mast.

The box 7c carries a worm-shaft, n, provided with an vendless screw or worm, 0, which engages with a worm-gear, 1*,ixedon the end of the boom. By revolving the shaft in one direction by a crank applied to it the boom will be revolved so as to wind the sail on it. During a reverse motion of the crank the sail will be unwound from the boom. In this way the sail may be reefed or unreefed more or less, as circumstances may require. The gimbals admit of the boom being swung in any direction, either upward, downward, or laterally.

While the sail may be in the act otl being reet'ed each of the mast-hoops, as it may reach the immediate vicinity ot' the boom, should be unhooked from the sail in order that it may not obstruct the Winding of the sail on the boom. ln this way, when desirable, the whole sail may be furled on the boom.

From the above itwill be seen that the boom is supported not only by the ring h and its sustaining-ropes, but by thejcurnal t' and box It', and that such boom is revolved by means ot' the worin-shaft u, its worin o, and wormgear r.

I claiml. The combination of the rotary boom (5,'

the detachable mast-hoops e, and the means of supporting and revolving the boom.

2. The combination ot the same and the gimbals l, or their equivalents, applied to the boom and mast, the whole constituting an apparatus for either reeting orfnrling afore-audatt sail, substantially in manner as specitied.

GEO. A. BIGELOV.

Witnesses R. H. EDDY, F. P. HALE, Jr. 

